Chapter 278 - 167: Her Excessive Cuteness Makes the Kitchen Shine Brightly

Chapter 278: Chapter 167: Her Excessive Cuteness Makes the Kitchen Shine Brightly

Otherwise, he would have blown up this magazine cover to ten times its size, put it on a sign right at the restaurant entrance, and promoted the hell out of it.

"Zhou Yan looks so handsome in this picture!" Huang Ying leaned over to look at the photo, her eyes lighting up. Then she asked curiously, "Dad, is Zhou Yan going to be famous now?"

Huang He nodded. "Absolutely. He’s only twenty and he’s already in Sichuan Cuisine, with his dish right on the cover. That’s fame at a young age. In a few more years, he’ll definitely be a renowned chef in Jiazhou!"

"In the world of chefs, that’s what you call a genius," Zhao Shulan remarked with a sigh of admiration.

Nearby, Li Liangcai’s expression grew even darker. He looked at Li the Third with bitter disappointment.

Li the Third gave an innocent shrug and mumbled, "Master, you have to be young to achieve fame at a young age. I’m already a jaded old-timer. We should leave these kinds of opportunities to the next generation."

As he spoke, his gaze shifted to his apprentices.

The apprentices immediately started bustling about again—wiping pots, scrubbing the stove, and cleaning the counters.

"You, come here!" Li the Third’s gaze fell upon his youngest apprentice.

The apprentice, who had just turned eighteen, walked over apprehensively and said quietly, "Teacher, Master."

"You. In two years, you’re going to get into Sichuan Cuisine and bring honor to our Li Sect," Li the Third declared.

The young apprentice said, "Me?"

"That’s right, you," Li the Third said, patting the apprentice’s shoulder encouragingly. He couldn’t handle that pressure, either.

With a PUTT-PUTT-PUTT, Huang Bing’s motorcycle stopped outside the back kitchen door. Huang Bing came in carrying two baskets of braised meat. Seeing Li Liangcai, he greeted him enthusiastically, "Li, you came to hang out, too?"

However, he quickly sensed that the atmosphere in the back kitchen was a bit off. Everyone had an indescribably odd expression on their face.

He might have called it tense, but Huang Ying was grinning from ear to ear.

As long as she was smiling, it usually meant there was no real trouble.

"What’s going on here? A meeting?" Huang Bing asked, flashing a goofy grin.

SMACK!

Huang He instinctively smacked him with the magazine he was holding.

"Dad? What was that for?" Huang Bing was a bit stunned.

Huang He hadn’t meant to hit him; it was just an impulse. But now that he had, he said grumpily, "Li said you’re supposed to enter the kitchen right foot first. I just saw you lead with your left."

Still confused, Huang Bing looked over at Huang Ying. "Since when is that a rule? Did he just make it up today?"

Huang Ying stifled a laugh. "Probably."

Li Liangcai took the magazine back from Huang He. He looked at Li the Third and all his disciples and grand-disciples, saying, "Study diligently, train hard, and never stop honing your craft. Practice makes perfect. It’s no great shame if you aren’t as talented as someone else. But if you’re less talented *and* less diligent, then you have a serious problem. Our trade is all about hard work. The ’diligent’ part comes first. There are no shortcuts."

Everyone stopped their work, looking at Li Liangcai and nodding thoughtfully.

Huang Bing set the braised meat on the counter and nodded along with them.

His hands were covered in scars, old and new.

"I’ll be going. You all get back to work." Li Liangcai smiled, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked toward the door.

"Li, why don’t you stay for a cup of tea?" Huang He said, following him toward the exit.

"No need, Boss Huang. You get back to it." Li Liangcai left without a backward glance.

"What was that all about? Why was the atmosphere so weird?" Huang Bing whispered to Huang Ying as he followed her out of the back kitchen.

"Zhou Yan made it into Sichuan Cuisine, and his Kneeling Beef is on the cover. Li got jealous, so he came to chew out his disciples and grand-disciples," Huang Ying whispered. She grabbed her bag from behind the counter, slung it over her shoulder, and headed for the door.

"Zhou Yan’s in a magazine?" Huang Bing was dumbfounded. Watching her retreating back, he asked, "Where are you going?"

"To buy the magazine. I want to see what all the editors are saying about Zhou Yan," Huang Ying said with a smile.

"I’ll go buy one too, then," Huang Bing said, quickening his pace to catch up.

"Yingying, buy one for me too, alright?" Huang He said as he came back inside, holding out a dollar for Huang Ying.

"You got it," Huang Ying replied with a smile.

"That Zhou Yan is so accomplished for his age. He’s only twenty! Back when his own Master was twenty, he had just graduated from his apprenticeship. And here Zhou Yan is, already on a magazine cover," Huang He couldn’t help but marvel.

"Are you saying his future achievements might surpass his Master’s?" Zhao Shulan asked, a little surprised.

"His culinary skill might not necessarily reach the heights of Grandmaster Kong Huafeng, but he’s more open-minded. A very clever, very smart young man." Huang He’s expression was filled with admiration. "Getting into Sichuan Cuisine while running a restaurant in Suji is incredible. Once his name gets out, if he ever comes to Jiazhou to open a restaurant, he’ll be unstoppable."

Zhao Shulan nodded thoughtfully at his words. "That makes sense. If he can build such a roaring trade in Suji, I’m afraid that if he came to Jiazhou, even our Feiyan Restaurant might not be able to compete with him."

"Tell me, how come we couldn’t have a son like that?" Huang He said, his face a mask of envy.

...

"This picture is totally misleading! I’ve never eaten Kneeling Beef out of a bowl this nice!" Huang Bing griped, holding a copy of the magazine and pointing indignantly at the cover. "False advertising!"

"What the hell do you know! Of course they’re going to use a nicer bowl to make it look good for the picture. That’s totally normal," Huang Ying said, rolling her eyes at him. "Look at the color of that broth, that beef, that tripe! It looks exactly like the stuff you eat in the restaurant every day, doesn’t it!"

"Heh heh, Kneeling Beef is my favorite food. Of course I know what it’s supposed to look like," Huang Bing said with a wide grin. "This just proves I’m not the only one who loves the Kneeling Beef Yan makes. He deserves to be famous!"

Huang Ying sat down on a nearby bench and eagerly began to flip through the magazine.

Seeing this, Huang Bing sat down beside her and started flipping through it casually. Soon, the smile vanished from his face. "Whoa..." he said, astonished. "How are all these people Special Level Chefs, famous Grandmasters from all over, and even Grandmasters who cook overseas?"